Batteries are necessary for the operation of a wide variety of personal electronics, flashlights, outdoor gear, work equipment, safety equipment, and any device that needs portable electrical power. Millions of batteries are in use in these types of devices. Batteries are capable of providing only a limited amount of power before they become discharged, and when they become discharged they need to be replaced. The storage and transportation of replacement batteries and the discharged batteries they replaced has long been a difficult proposition, with the cylindrical shape of most batteries presenting challenges to stacking, storage, organization, transportation, and usage.
Many unsatisfactory systems are currently in use for the storage of batteries. Batteries are commonly stored loose in drawers. This presents difficulties when it is necessary to find a battery, as many shapes and sizes may be mixed together. Furthermore, the batteries may roll into contact with the poles of other batteries, causing batteries to short out and presenting a fire hazard and the potential for chemical burns.
Individuals may tape the batteries together with duct tape or electrical tape to keep them from rolling at random, or rubber band them together in pairs. Colored rubber bands or tape may also be used to differentiate charged batteries from discharged batteries, for instance green rubber bands for charged batteries and red rubber bands for discharged batteries. While this prevents the rolling of the batteries and mitigates the hazard of shorting somewhat, it doesn't provide a significant improvement in the ability to find a battery of the correct size, and it requires a significant amount of effort to initially wrap the batteries, and then unwrap them for use. Furthermore, the use of tape typically leaves a sticky residue on the exterior of the batteries, and it is common for rubber bands to decay and split, leaving the batteries free to roll and mix at random.
Batteries may also be stored in paper boxes or fishing tackle boxes. While potentially an improvement for storage, and providing improved sorting capabilities, there are serious flaws as well. Paper boxes are often insufficiently strong and may burst, spilling the batteries. Furthermore, it is often difficult to retrieve the batteries from the boxes or the individual segments contained in the tackle boxes. Particularly for the smaller sizes such as AA and AAA, the batteries settle into closely fitted rows which make them difficult to extract. Additionally, the tackle box compartments are small, as are and many boxes which are currently used for batteries, and they may be poorly suited for individuals with larger fingers. Additionally, tackle boxes are relatively large, and do not allow for convenient transportation, and the typical weakness of paper boxes makes them unsuitable for transportation of more than a few batteries at a time.
It is apparent that there is a need for a system to insure the safe storage of batteries, preventing fires and chemical burns, while also enabling easy access to the batteries, enabling simple distinction between charged and discharged batteries, and which allows the battery storage containers to be transported safely and robustly in a wide variety of manners.